Society of Manufacturing Engineers is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Southfield, Michigan, registered in 1953, with $65,762,279 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B+, and it directs about 72% of spending to programs.
Revenue (FY2024)
$65.8M
▼ 21.4% vs prior year
Community median: $184K
Expenses (FY2024)
$74.2M
Net assets
$43.5M
Employees
250
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Society of Manufacturing Engineers: 72% to programs · $0 to raise $100 earns a B on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Society of Manufacturing Engineers: 7 mo reserves · -13% margin earns a C+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Society of Manufacturing Engineers: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Society of Manufacturing Engineers: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Promote manufacturing technology, develop a skilled workforce, collaborate, aggregate and disseminate technical knowledge & expertise, and become a leader in manufacturing.
Training and development - tooling u-sme delivers versatile, competency-based learning and development solutions to the manufacturing community through a variety of learning options including online training, instructor-led training, certifications, book and videos. tooling u-sme partners with customers to build high performers who help their companies drive quality, profitability, productivity, innovation and employee satisfaction. working directly with hundreds of high schools, community colleges and universities, tooling u-sme is able to help prepare the next generation workforce by providing industry-driven curriculum.
Publications - sme incorporates education & training into everything we do. sme media's editorial content calendar schedules a theme for each month which is selected to enhance the knowledge in a particular engineering discipline. the schedule of monthly themes correlates with the appropriate upcoming conferences or trade shows to round out the educational experience. for each theme, the editor and staff of sme media interviews organizations with products, services & new technologies that help advance the featured engineering discipline. many of these organizations will be included in the editorial content of the magazines and digital products, while others are invited to place an advertisement meeting certain specifications designed to enhance the educational experience of the audience with respect to the featured editorial content. the sme media content is often linked to the conference or trade show theme to advance promote the event and corresponding topic. sme media provides timely information about emerging technologies and industries through its educational content and advertisements. the magazines and digital properties further sme's exempt purpose by providing education in support of sme's expositions and other educational events. the total print and digital audience for sme media in 2024 was 861,405 copies. sme media also provides a weekly e-newsletter which focuses on our four core disciplines: aerospace & defense, energy, medical and motorized vehicles. the content is delivered through a fully integrated media portfolio, which makes information available in print, online, email, mobile apps, social media and webinars. in addition, sme publishes three scholarly, peer-reviewed journals on manufacturing letters, manufacturing processes and manufacturing systems.
Membership programs - sme's 12,890 members engage with sme to inspire, prepare and support the advancement of manufacturing. this engagement includes online, local and national networking; event attendance; career development; volunteer leadership; publications; and educational programming. in 2024, we continued to provide members with exclusive access to benefits and features, while creating a diversified member profile; addressing the growing manufacturing skills gap; improving component support; enhancing online communities; and increasing the scope of our membership through corporate and individual member segments.
Revenue grew from $55.1M (FY2013) to $65.8M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
-12.9%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$80.9M
Total liabilities
$37.4M
Net assets
$43.5M
Salaries & benefits
$28.1M
38% of expenses
Board members
17
17 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $65,762,279▼21.4% | $74,245,701▼1.6% | $43,497,723▼11.6% | $80,866,635▲3.4% | 990 |
| 2023 | $83,697,542▲62.1% | $75,439,459▲25.8% | $49,230,483▲44.9% | $78,176,386▲4.0% | 990 |
| 2022 | $51,643,029▼21.9% | $59,979,438▲5.6% | $33,981,910▼34.5% | $75,190,613▼2.5% | 990 |
| 2021 | $66,156,404▲97.6% | $56,775,104▲59.9% | $51,893,612▲27.3% | $77,116,365▲1.7% | 990 |
| 2020 | $33,476,577▼55.7% | $35,499,157▼47.6% | $40,779,503▲3.9% | $75,791,909▲9.9% | 990 |
| 2019 | $75,619,328▲33.9% | $67,699,088▲16.9% | $39,237,004▲42.3% | $68,986,755▲19.3% | 990 |
| 2018 | $56,495,208▼15.8% | $57,900,620▼9.6% | $27,573,003▼35.6% | $57,812,203▼19.3% | 990 |
| 2017 | $67,112,957▲46.5% | $64,017,859▲29.3% | $42,825,275▲18.3% | $71,621,360▲11.7% | 990 |
| 2016 | $45,804,089▼25.0% | $49,499,437▼13.6% | $36,209,005▼8.2% | $64,099,741▼1.5% | 990 |
| 2015 | $61,087,966▲36.7% | $57,304,667▲25.0% | $39,445,940▲4.2% | $65,072,698▲1.2% | 990 |
| 2014 | $44,695,864▼18.8% | $45,859,353▼11.7% | $37,858,017▼9.7% | $64,306,657▼4.2% | 990 |
| 2013 | $55,072,127 | $51,907,953▲18.1% | $41,916,169▲35.2% | $67,148,888▲11.5% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $43,945,565▼17.4% | $30,996,430▼0.9% | $60,235,344▼0.1% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $53,203,862▲69.4% | $31,275,835▼22.8% | $60,313,846▼4.5% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $31,411,428 | $40,532,488 | $63,184,093 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Highest-paid: Robert Willig — $694,180 (0.93% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Willig | Ceo & Executive Director | 46 | $694,180 |
| Stavros Prahalis | Chief Operating Officer | 50 | $535,228 |
| Jeannine Kunz | Chief Workforce Development Officer | 50 | $428,336 |
| Craig Connop | Chief Financial Officer | 46 | $425,564 |
| Kathleen Borgula | Vp of Human Resources | 50 | $341,303 |
| Chad H Schron | Senior Director, U-se | 50 | $335,422 |
| Erica Ciupak | Vp of It | 50 | $319,427 |
| John Hindman | Director, Learning and Performance | 50 | $259,190 |
| John Catalano | Senior Director, Fabtech | 50 | $257,737 |
| Jake Volcsko | Vp of Advanced Mfg Media | 50 | $229,778 |
| Brian Hogan | National Account Manager | 50 | $200,630 |
| Albert J Wavering | Director | 5 | — |
| Brett Peters | Director | 5 | — |
| Bryan D Albrecht | Director | 5 | — |
| Bryan G Dods | Director | 5 | — |
| Dean S Phillips | Director | 5 | — |
| Edye S Buchanan | Director | 5 | — |
| Hitomi Yamaguchi Greenslet | Director | 5 | — |
| Jacqueline El-sayed | Director | 5 | — |
| James W Schlusemann | Director | 5 | — |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Freeman | Event Service | $5,269,407 |
| Sl Town Center Realty LLC | Property Services | $989,877 |
| Levy Premium Foodservice Limited Parther | Catering Services | $634,127 |
| Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP | Professional Services | $440,253 |
| Centerplate Hospitality DBA Sodexo Live | Catering Services | $306,108 |
2 grants to Society of Manufacturing Engineers totaling $253K, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strada Education Foundation Inc | Operating grant | 2023 | $242,000 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Research subcontract | 2018 | $11,000 |
2 grants totaling $1.9M in FY2024. All grants made by Society of Manufacturing Engineers →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sme Education Foundation | Education | $1,895,307 |
| Chemical Coaters Assoc Internl Finishing Education Foundation | Education | $10,000 |
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Data for Society of Manufacturing Engineers (EIN 38-0298770) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.